I\u2019ve been back in the US now for almost a year.\u00a0 It\u2019s strange that the time has gone so quickly but here I am. Here I am still realizing how much Swedish culture I have soaked up and taken back with me.<\/p>\n
Like immediately taking my shoes off when I enter someone\u2019s home.\u00a0 It has become second nature.\u00a0 So much so that even if it just a quick stop, my shoes come off. I have friends who think this is ridiculous. They stand around mumbling to themselves while I put my shoes back on.\u00a0 But their floors have never been cleaner when I stop by.\u00a0 Considering the wall to wall carpeting that seems so ubiquitous in the US, I\u2019m pretty sure this is a good thing. No one likes muddy shoes traipsing through their carpet.<\/p>\n
Like sitting in silence on public transportation.\u00a0 For so long I complained about the silence in Sweden. It drove me nuts. But I acquiesced.\u00a0 I told myself I was just being culturally sensitive.\u00a0 Turns out, over the course of those few years, I grew to enjoy my silence.\u00a0 Now, every day on the bus, I pop my iPod in and check out completely.<\/p>\n
Like staring at the sun.\u00a0 It\u2019s been a long winter here.\u00a0 And so, every time that sun came out, my eyes closed. My head turned to the sun. I stood in silence and soaked it up.\u00a0 It was amazing. And ridiculous.\u00a0 And if you\u2019ve ever spent a winter in Sweden, you know exactly what I\u2019m talking about. Sunlight is like gold.<\/p>\n
Like yearning for the k\u00f6lapp.\u00a0 I made fun of this thing.\u00a0 The little red machine that spit out a number in businesses throughout Sweden just made me laugh. Now I yearn for them.\u00a0 The simplicity of just grabbing a number and sitting anywhere, it appeals to the laziness in me. I don\u2019t even have to stand in line. I can grab a chair.\u00a0 It\u2019s amazing.\u00a0 It\u2019s orderly, and no one can argue with the number. I was here first. And I\u2019ve got proof.<\/p>\n
Clearly, the grass is always greener.<\/p>\n
What have you brought with you from your travels abroad?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I\u2019ve been back in the US now for almost a year.\u00a0 It\u2019s strange that the time has gone so quickly but here I am. Here I am still realizing how much Swedish culture I have soaked up and taken back with me. Like immediately taking my shoes off when I enter someone\u2019s home.\u00a0 It has…<\/p>\n